I just read an interweb story that the European Ash is on pace to become extinct due to a combo of fungal disease and EAB. No mention of the prognosis for North America though.
We have been hit hard with the EAB. The only ash that is alive is a few 3" or smaller trees. I have also read on the web that some say after the EAB go through the ash will return a few years later and be fine. Right now that is all I am cutting for firewood. There's so much of it dead and falling over I can't keep up with it. Pretty sad
I think I remember reading that those darn bugs will leave the young trees alone, and "they" are thinking that the Ash species may be able to be saved by some young trees that are growing when the bugs die off from starvation due to no more mature Ash to live in. This could be a load of hooey, I don't recall where I saw it...
There's even more to it. The trees are gaining resistance to EAB. EAB also seems to have been dying off with the last 2 brutal winters before this pathetic winter. Scientific research seems to support the theory that the larvae can't handle the extreme low temperature that we have here compared to where they are from in Asia. I still use Bayer treatment on my yard ash trees. I've got mega sized ash trees that I'd be pizzed about if they were to die.
I can't imagine life out in the prairie if we lost all the ash. I bet a good 85% of our good hardwood here is ash. The county agents are pushing everyone to plant maple now just how they pushed ash in the 80s. I'm just worried that in 30 years a maple disease will become the panic like Dutch Elm and now EAB. I wish they would push diversity in tree planting here instead of selective species plantings.
As for North America, I too was worried but not so much any more. Yes, we had a lot of ash and have been cutting them for 13 or 14 years now as that is how long the borer has been here. However, lately we have found several live ash in our woods. We knew we had 2 (probably 6-10" max) that made it. But this winter we have found several more live trees and that really pleases me. We're having a GTG here next month and before that happens we plan on marking all the good trees to they don't get cut by mistake. This way we don't lose all of them. I've been in contact with some universities and they also seem to think we will be okay; that is, to not lose all of them and some will be collecting seed from the live trees to replant in some areas. That is great news.
Not sure where to post this. I was watching the Colorado news tonight, several cities are cutting down infected ash on public lands, and a couple are considering mandatory spraying for homeowners with ash trees.
I just hope those little green SOBs don't decide to start in on the oaks when they are done with the ash.
